^166 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
November 14, 1896. 
Many first-class new varieties of Ferns have been 
raised in the Dyson’s Lane Nurseries. Carnations 
are also old favourites with him, and he has raised 
some grand varieties as well as Pelargoniums. 
Eternal vigilance is the price of success in gardening 
and Mr. Hemsley knows it. Though he prides him¬ 
self in his practical work, he does not eschew literary 
work in connection with gardening, for he was one 
of the earliest contributors to The Gardening 
World. He has been and is a contributor to other 
gardening papers both in this country and in 
America ; but these labours are subsidiary to his 
practical work. Under the guidance of a thoroughly 
practical chief, and with the assistance of an efficient 
and intelligent staff of fellow workers, Mr. Hemsley 
has seen the establishment, with which he has so 
long been connected, considerably extended, and at 
the present time the name of H. B. May as a Fern 
grower is known to the whole world. 
LATE VINES WITH GRAPES STILL 
HANGING. 
This fruit will require very careful handling just now 
when the leaves are taking on their autumn tints and 
soon to fall from the vines. I consider this the most 
critical time for late Grapes. The bunches should 
be gone over twice a week to remove decaying berries, 
if any, as if left many days they soon contaminate 
their neighbours and spoil the shape of the bunch. 
The borders, too (I am speaking of inside ones which 
should be for all late Grapes), must be carefully 
examined, and if found at all dry, should have the 
straw or bracken removed and have a thorough 
watering, or shrivelling of the berries will surely take 
place. A bright day should be chosen for this, if possi¬ 
ble, afterwards replacing the covering. This assists to 
retain the moisture in the border and a drier atmos¬ 
phere above. The temperature is of equal import¬ 
ance ; my experience tells me that 50° to 55 0 is quite 
high enough through the night, and I would prefer to 
see it a little below that figure in the morning if the 
night has been very cold, rather than much above it. 
I am speaking of such varieties as Hamburgh, 
Alicante, Lady Downes, etc. I would give Muscats 
from eight to ten degrees more, with a rise of 10 s with 
sun heat, when air should be given top and bottom, 
but not too freely with this, if the wind is at all keen 
so as to create a draught. A rise of 5° is quite enough 
on dull cold days. I don't believe in too much fire 
heat ; it only tends to shrivel the berries. 
Some writers advocate cutting and bottling the 
Grapes about this date thinking they keep better 
than if left on the vines. This is not my opinion, 
unless they are in an unheated vinery ; then I should 
by all means cut them ; rather they should have 
been cut some two or three weeks since. With me 
Grapes keep well on the vines up to the end of 
December, when I consider they should be all cut 
and bottled, and the vines given three months rest 
by throwing the house wide open and pruning the 
vines. It is not every establishment that has a suitable 
place to put bottled Grapes in, hence the necessity 
of leaving them on the vines up to the date given ; 
and I expect the majority of us have to fall on our 
latest vinery now the shooting season is on, in which 
case we shall be daily relieving the vines of their 
load .— James Mayne, Bicton. 
«»■ 
FINSBURY PARK. 
The display of Chrysanthemums in Finsbury Park 
was opened to the public on the 10th October, about 
a week later than usual. The principal display is 
not now made in the conservatory as when it was 
first opened, but taken back to the old house which 
has been painted up and otherwise made smart. 
Tall Palms, Dracaenas, Ficus, standard Grevillea 
robusta, Eucalyptus citriodora, and other subjects 
are arranged round the sides of the building and 
form a background of greenery, in front of which 
banks and groups of Chrysanthemums form almost 
a continuous outline to the central winding pathway. 
Many of the plants are grown as bushes, and carry 
a large number of flowers of moderate size. The 
pompons are in front, but most of them are late. The 
whole assemblage has a bright and cheerful aspect. 
In the old span-roofed house the Chrysanthemums 
monopolise the whole of the space and are arranged 
in one slopicg, undulating bank, from end to end of 
the building. The plants generally are very dwarf, 
and one of the first things that strikes the eye, is a 
tall branching plant of Margot, draping every pillar 
that supports the roof of the house. Here as else¬ 
where in the London Parks a spirit of conservatism 
prevails amongst Chrysanthemums, which oneseldom 
sees either in a nursery or private establishment 
where exhibiting is countenanced. For instance we 
expect to see such universal favourites as Viviand 
Morel, Charles Davis, Florence Davis (the green 
Chrysanthemum of some years back) and Avalanche, 
of which there are good blooms here; but here we 
come across such old favourites as Elaine, in fine 
form; the salmon-red Triomphe du Nord ; and the 
yellow Mdlle. Lacroix, otherwise known as Mrs. 
C. E. Shea, not the more recent white variety. 
The colour of Col. W. B. Smith is very rich and 
the whorled florets are always striking. The golden 
hue of E. Beckett, otherwise known as the Yellow 
Avalanche, is very fine. The rich maroon-crimson 
and the broad florets of G. W. Childs, are very pre¬ 
possessing, and though the variety often fails, it has 
done well here. Marquis de Paris is a globular 
Japanese bloom somewhat after the style of Boquet 
des Dames in size, shape and colour. The large 
pink blooms of Madame C. Harman Payne are 
rather late. As the visitor passes along the house 
great masses of the old and beautiful L’Isle des 
Plaisirs may be seen fringing the eves of the house in 
the bays between the undulations of the bank of bloom. 
The broad florets of Amos Perry are conspicuous 
here and there. The rich golden-yellow of the new 
Phoebus is even more conspicuous, but the flowers 
are late. 
Other types may be noticed such as the pompon 
Elise Dordan and the bright yellow Anemone M. 
Charles Lebocqz. Incurved varieties are by no 
means neglected. Amongst yellows we noted Mr. 
Bunn, Gloria Mundi, and the bronzy-yellow Globe 
d'Or. M. R. Bahuant with its chestnut-red flowers 
is still a favourite for early and mid-season work. On 
the whole there is a gorgeous display in a great 
variety of colours, neatly and effectively arranged by 
Mr. Melville, the superintendent. 
- »>• 
CELEBRATION OF THE SIXTIETH 
YEAR OF HER MAJESTY’S REIGN. 
As numerous suggestions are under consideration for 
celebrating the sixtieth year of Her Majesty’s bene¬ 
ficent reign, may I venture to bring before the 
British people a long-felt need of the horticultural 
community. 
Horticulturists have no common meeting place, no 
centre, and the establishment of a Home of Horti¬ 
culture —a Royal Home of Horticulture if Her 
Majesty graciously appointed it so—would be an 
event worthy of this era in our national history. It 
is quite unnecessary to emphasise the inconvenience 
inseparable from flower and other similar shows 
held in buildings not structurally adapted for them, 
nor is it necessary to more than refer to the undesir¬ 
ableness of holding such exhibitions in places to 
which any exception can be taken. Our institute 
should be above any objectionable connections. 
I would suggest the establishment of a Home of 
Horticulture which should be so designed as to afford 
facilities for further promoting the interests of other 
arts, painting, music, etc. 
It is generally admitted that the best pictures are 
not always received at the academy, here they would 
find a welcome home. On behalf of music, the over¬ 
flowing non-professional talent might here find 
ample opportunities for development, even for the 
assistance of philanthropic enterprises; such a trio 
might be advantageously united to their mutual 
benefit and to the improvement, enjoyment, and 
advancement of every one. 
Having worked out thisproject in detail (particulars 
of which need not be here gone into) I beg to invite 
co-operation towards its attainment. 
The aim is to bring together all horticultural 
interests to a metropolitan home presided over by 
life governors qualified in the first instance by dona¬ 
tion. Every gardener would be eligible for election 
to the position of life governor whenever a vacancy 
occured, the qualification fee being only required 
from the first board of governors for defraying 
expenses in the initiatory stage of the society. 
Suitable premises being found and furnished in 
every particular with due regard to the intention and 
requirements of the establishment, arrangements 
would be made for a continuous session of exhibitions, 
lectures, concerts, etc., and an annual convention be 
held perhaps in May to consider the year's work. 
For the convenience of visitors, a properly con¬ 
ducted buffet with reception and reading rooms 
would form part of the scheme, also a library of 
books of reference upon horticulture. 
We all know and appreciate the refining influence 
of beautiful flowers, hence the home to house such 
in our great metropolis might do a great deal to 
counteract the degrading tendencies of music halls, 
etc. Let us hope that another Joseph Paxton will 
come forth and erect a Crystal Palace in one of our 
central London parks as a Home of Horticulture for 
Great Britain. I trust you will kindly grant me 
space in your columns .— fames L. Wood, F.R.H.S., 
Cranbrooh, Oakleigh Park, Whetstone. 
ORCHID NOTES * GLEANINGS. 
By The Editor. 
Orchids from Bayham Abbey —A boxful of 
bright and cheerful Orchids reached us last week 
from Mr. A. Methven, gardener to the Marquis of 
Camden, Bayham Abbey, Lamberhurst, Kent. Out 
of a batch of recently imported Cattleya labiata, 
scarcely two of the plants bore flowers exactly alike. 
One of the flowers sent had rich rose sepals and 
petals with a crimson-purple lamina and lilac 
margin. Another was similarly rich except that the 
dark colour on the lip was reduced to a small blotch. 
Very pretty was a third with soft pink sepals and 
petals, while the dark colour on the huge lip was 
reduced to a wedge-shaped blotch. All the Cattleyas 
were large and shapely flowers. Dendrobium 
Phalaenopsis schroderianum does well at Bayham 
Abbey, and some flowers of it accompanied the rest. 
Very fine was a variety of Cypripedium Charles- 
worthii with a large suborbicular, dark rose-purple 
dorsal sepal. C. leeanum superbum was in equally 
fine condition, the flowers in all cases being of great 
substance. The dorsal sepal of C. spicerianum was 
white with a claret midrib, and a small green blotch 
at the base. Very fine was Oncidium kramerianum, 
with broad, orange brown lateral sepals striped 
yellow like a tiger. The lip had a broad margin of 
the same rich orange-brown enclosing a large clear 
yellow blotch. Flowers of Dendrobium formosum 
giganteum were notable for their size, leathery 
character and purity. 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
The undermentioned subjects received Certificates 
from the Royal Horticultural Society, at the Drill 
Hall on the 27th ult. 
Orchid Committee. 
Cattleya Le Czar. Nov. hyb. nat . —This strikingly 
distinct Cattleya is supposed to be a natural hybrid 
between the autumn-flowering C. labiata and C. 
granulosa. The potency of the latter is very 
apparent in the form of the lip, but not in the 
peculiar granulation of the same. The colours are 
those of C. labiata. The sepals are of a soft dull 
rose, while the elliptic petals are of a soft purple, 
and slightly falcate. The lamina of the lip is 
obcuneate, bifid, with a broad claw and rich, dark, 
purple with a narrow, white edge ; the side lobes 
are paler and netted with dark purple lines ; and 
there is a small oraDge blotch in the throat. First- 
class Certificate. Messrs. L. Linden, L’Horticulture 
Internationale, Brussels. 
Cattleya labiata R. I. Measures’ var. Nov. 
var. — This is one of the prettiest and choicest of 
recent additions to the autumn-flowering C. labiata. 
The sepals and petals are pure white. The lip is 
also of the same hue, with the exception of a small 
area in the centre, and vhichis beautifully netted 
with a lively rose, not purple, and therefore new or 
rare for this species. First-class Certificate. R. I. 
Measures, Esq. (gardener, Mr. Hy. Chapman), 
Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell. 
Cypripedium Regina. Nov. hyb. —The parentage 
of this distinct and handsome hybrid is quite apparent 
in the progeny. C. leeanum, itself a hybrid was the 
seed bearer, and this hybrid has been largely 
modified by C. fairieanum. The petals are sharply 
deflexed like those of the latter, or even to a greater 
extent, pale yellow and heavily striped with brown 
along the veins especially towards the edges of the 
upper side. The lip is glossy and heavily overlaid 
with brown on a yellow ground. The upper sepal is 
orbicular, and white, With a greteh bake, and numerous 
